Oh god, another pc in an xbox case

DudBullet

What's an ITX?
Original poster
Dec 16, 2018
1
11
Hi,
Thought I would share my take on the overused pc in an xbox 360 case. I got the idea from watching a couple youtube videos and thought I could improve on the concept.

Specs:
CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 2600
Motherboard: Gigabyte AB350-N Gaming Wifi
Ram: (2x8GB) Corsair Vengeance LPX 3000MHz
GPU: Gigabyte GTX 1080 Mini (undervolted)
Storage: Samsung 860 EVO M.2 1TB SSD
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-L9a-AM4
PSU: Dell Alienware 330W AC-DC (Xbox 8 pin power plug conversion)
& HDPLEX 400W DC-ATX

Peripherals:
Keyboard: Corsair K63 Wireless
Mouse: Corsair Dark Core RGB
Controller: Xbox 360 Wireless (Using Xbox 360 RF Module with custom microcontroller and pcb)
HMD: HTC VIVE CE

I/O:
2x USB 3.0
1x Ethernet RJ45
1x HDMI
1x DisplayPort







I was hoping to keep the rear exhaust fans, I even swapped the pins around so that it would work on the pc fan headers. I also wanted to keep the rear of the case looking stock. no cutting!


The size difference of the GTX1080 mini next to a XFX R9 290


A couple Test fitments to find the best location for the motherboard and the GPU.


Settled for this layout. The GPU lines up with the PCI-E slot perfectly. I also removed the rear mounting bracket off the GPU which gained the benefit of better airflow.


Finding a location for the HDPLEX DC-ATX unit. A problem arose, as the wires coming out of the connectors would come into contact with the GPU's fan shroud and cooling fan.




Programming the microcontroller to interact with the Xbox 360 Wireless RF Module


Keeping track of where each wire needs to join too was important. I managed to do away with the 2nd 5v Reed relay (Power LED). An internal pullup resistor on the microcontroller connected to the (-) Power LED signal was enough.


The finished and programmed board.


Connecter between the controller and the RF Module so that it can be easily installed and removed. I needed at least 7 pins, This ended up being perfect. Swapped to pins around so that I could co-ordinate the colours easier. Like Red, White, Green and Black for the USB 2.0 wires.


A few wires for the controller


Mounting all the I/O cables. Connected the microcontroller to the Motherboards internal USB header.


Becoming a tangled mess. The Power, CPU and GPU cables all had to be shorted to lessen the amount of cable loops in the case. Made a fan extension cable into the Sync switch connector for the micro controller.


The 24-Pin ATX cable had to be extended to reach the motherboard. Made it extra difficult with all the wires being black. All the cables are now flat topped and don't interfere with the GPU fan


A neat little package. About 3.4L in volume (27x21.5x6 cm)


The Drive bay door has been left out during testing as the GPU can use it as another exhaust port. An idea is to add a/some magnets so that it can clip into and out of position. The HDD bay is empty and purely for aesthetics. Removal is required when gaming.




175w Xbox PSU was not quite enough.


Swapping the Laptop connector to the Xbox 360 8-Pin.




Installing Windows and updating drivers.


A couple of windows crashes has lead me to believe that the GPU may be drawing more the HDPLEX or Dell PSU can supply in this configuration, underclocking the GPU has stopped the crashes. I've also installed and tested the HTC Vive, and that works great. A portable, powerful VR gaming system with more features then my full tower.

And that was my 6 Month project.

Hope you enjoyed!
 

Choidebu

"Banned"
Aug 16, 2017
1,196
1,204
Most folks are intrigued by the idea and starts but never finishes. You, sir, are a different breed from them. Hats off to you! Very clean and powerful build.

F (respect!)